The World
The planet of Interitus is defined by its single, gargantuan continent named Ereb. An accurate size measurement has never been attempted, either for a lack of will or a lack of technology. Ereb is dominated by several massive rivers, some of which can be as wide as a hundred miles. This effectively splits the continent up, and has allowed for different culture groups and identities to emerge out of these regions. Spread throughout these regions are large mountain chains that are the source to most of the rivers, although no one has dared attempt to actually find the water sources; these mountain chains have proven to be some of the most inhospitable areas in the world, with only avian races able to eek out a living amongst the rocks and peaks. Ereb is currently divided between twelve nations. Towards the north-east lies the island of Bactria, home to The Hansa, a kingdom dedicated to maritime trade and to Tortles. The island's geography consists of low-rolling hills that lead into narrow valley's. Directly south of The Hansa lies The Empire of Heaven. Forged millennia ago by the Emperor Xeno, this Empire was oriented around the worship of a pantheon of gods. Every successive emperor after Xeno was deified and added to the pantheon, which by the time of our story has grown to thousands of deities. In recent decades, the Empire has been forced to concede de facto control of much of the planet to nations that had never before been conceived, with the Empire retreating to borders that are defined by nature rather than man. While a shadow of its former self, the Empire is still the largest and most prosperous nation in the world, with every race represented within its borders although Humans still make up a majority of the nation. As the world's largest nation, the Empire has a varied geography consists of flat grasslands, vast forests, and mountains. Bordering the Empire on the west lies Corinthia and the Kingdom of the Moors. Both of these states are populated mainly by Aaismar and humans, although that is where their similarities end. Corinthia focuses primarily on agricultural products and exporting them to the Empire, and as such peaceful borders are a top priority for the kingdom. Meanwhile, the Moors are one of the only kingdoms who can produce Warforged in large numbers, alongside many other types of weaponry. The Moorish Kingdom has been in a perpetual war with Veii to it's south over the Barren Lands, an inhospitable zone they both border that is the source of most of the living metal that is required to produce Warforged. Veii, lying to the south of the Moorish Kingdom, is a city-state run by an oligarchy who, through its usage of Warforged and the enslavement of a vast population of Tieflings, has managed to maintain control over more land than other other city-state has ever been able to. With a free population well over two million, Veii is the largest and most densely populated city in the world. Veii's and the Kingdom of the Moors has a geography consisting almost entirely of flat grassland, making each country easy to invade. To the south-east of Veii lies the Naxos, a nation unique in the fact that it is the only place in the world in which Tieflings are in control of the government. An aristocratic duchy, the Tieflings in this region value bloodlines, family heritage, and talent over wealth. While this has lead Naxos to produce both well educated and somewhat arrogant people, Naxos is one of the poorest regions in the world. The geography of Naxos is relatively dry, with rolling savannah leading to steep mountains in the north. Bordering Naxos is The Most Serene Republic of Syracuse and the Avars, two distinctly different nations. The Republic is an Elvish run mercantile state, while the Avars are a vast group of Aarakocran tribes. The Republic consists of grasslands and thick forests, with many natural harbors facilitating trade, while the Avars live entirely amongst the mountain peaks, and mainly engage in trading pelts and raiding. The four nations that cradle the western half of the continent are the three kingdoms of Sejuko, Tijiang, and Pontus, with all of these nations bordering the Khanate of the Gukturks.The kingdoms of Sejuko and Tijiang are Elvish run states that primarily fight amongst each other over control of the massive Po River and it's fertile delta. Pontus is a human-dominated kingdom that has managed to maintain the integrity of its borders not through military might or economic wealth, but rather through a huge Kenku slave network that gives the kingdom leverage over all its neighbors and has thus far staved off almost all attacks on its borders. The Gukturks are an Aarakocran people whose sole stated purpose in life is to raid, pillage, and steal from all the other non-avian species, and have thus far been succesful, as their Khanate sits amongst the mountain chains the also exist amongst the Avars.